1. Technical Field
The present device is a reversible shoe that allows the wearer to change the color of the shoe by disassembling it and reversing the inside and outside of the shoe, and then reassembling it.
2. Background Information
Many women and a growing number of men in the United States are enthusiastic shoe collectors. As fashions change, they continually add to their shoe collection and discard barely worn shoes from the previous season. For women especially, shoe styles change each season, and staying in style is a costly endeavor for them.
The reversible shoe of the present invention fulfills a need for an inexpensive, versatile, stylish shoe which can be quickly and easily converted from one side to the other. The reversible shoe cuts down on the number of separate pairs of shoes that must be purchased for different occasions, for example, casual shoes for wearing to work and dressier shoes for a evening out. In addition to cost savings, being able to maintain fewer shoes helps to free up closet space, reduce shopping time, lower the number of trips to shoe repair shops, and facilitate packing for trips. With the present invention, gentlemen and ladies need not carry an extra pair of shoes for going out to dinner after work. Instead, they can carry the reversible shoe of the present invention, to decorate and add color to their shoes. This reversible shoe allows the user to switch from one style to another, one color to another, monotone to multi-hued, or from plain to decorated. The reversible shoe can be designed to suit certain occasions, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. Shoes according to the present invention, then, are more versatile than conventional shoes because they can be worn to match several outfits.
Also, some people wear their shoes out from the inside out, particularly in the toe area of the shoe. Many commercially available shoes are shelved or discarded because the toe area wears out or is in poor condition. With the present invention, their shoes will last longer because they worn on both sides.
The present invention is a reversible shoe that can be taken apart and reassembled with inside and outside faces reversed, the shoe comprising:
(a) a generally flat, reversible sole;
(b) two side flaps, each affixed to the sole along a longitudinal side edge of the side flap, and a longitudinal side edge of the sole;
(c) a heel flap attached at one end to a posterior end of the sole; and
(d) attachment means for attaching one portion of the shoe to another;
wherein the attachment means are attached to the shoe along two opposite side edges of the heel flap on both faces, with complementary attachment means along a posterior end of each side flap on both faces; along both faces of a free edge of each side flap, with complementary attachment means on opposite anterior portions of the side flaps on both faces; and
wherein the reversible shoe has a flat, unassembled position for storage, and two opposite assembled positions ready for wear as a shoe. Also included herein are a method for assembling a reversible shoe, and a kit for building a reversible, readily assembled shoe.